The Prince of Sand Meets His Match
by Amortentia961
Summary: Sakura is sent to Suna for her Medic-Nin abilities, little does she know that the Kazekage himself will take a greater interest in her. Sort of a typical Sakura-Gaara story, but I promise there is a twist!
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Sakura stared out the window and into the forest. Her eyes filled with tears as she remembered visiting those woods as a genin with her team. Now that Sasuke was back everything was different.

She remembered that day like it was yesterday. Sakura had been collecting plants for her shishou Tsunade. After several years of hard work, sweat, and tears Sakura had finally lived up to her potential and had become one of the finest medic-nins in all of the 5 nations. Of course that came with a price, Sakura was always in high demand for missions. Although, that day her only task was to find a few plants.

Sakura had just bent down to pick the plants she needed when she sensed it. Off to the left, she felt a spike of chakra. It wasn't familiar to her, so she decided to investigate. Sakura melted into the trees, and crouched on a branch high above, careful to completely mask her chakra, but what she saw almost made her lose her perfect control. There standing in a clearing was Uchiha Sasuke.

She later found out that he had come back home after defeating Orochimaru, Itachi, and Madara, but those experiences had changed him. Sakura knew that he wouldn't be the same as when he was a genin, but she hadn't expected him to immediately hole himself up in the Uchiha compound and refuse all visitors. That had broken Naruto's heart. His "brother" had finally come home and wanted nothing to do with him. Sakura too was heartbroken, but she hid it behind a mask of anger, the only person who could see through her was Kakashi-sensei. She hadn't known there was still a foolish part of her that hoped and prayed that Sasuke would fall in love with her. Of course he hadn't.

Eventually Sasuke had come around and reluctantly allowed Naruto to begin training with him, but he had refused to even look at Sakura. This tore her apart. She remembered clearly what she now knew was her most embarrassing moment.

It was a clear night when it had happened. Sakura had felt the lonilessness pressing down on her, and with it came great anger. She decided foolishly to confront Sasuke and demand to know why he was ignoring her. In retrospect, that probably wasn't the best idea. To her credit she did manage to make it all the way to Sasuke's bedroom window, but when she saw his perfect angel face all her anger dissipated. Instead she felt cool tears slide down her face and all she managed to murmer was, "Why?"

Sasuke didn't even spare her a second glance before saying, "Because you are weak." Sadly, that was the most words he had spoken to her for over 5 years, and it broke her. She could actually feel the part of her heart shatter, pierced by his cruelty. She wished she had slapped him, done something to show her anger, to show she wasn't weak. Instead she stood there tears streaming down her face, until he told her she was annoying and to get out.

Sakura still remembered that moment, and as she stared out the window, her rose colored hair framing her face, she cried tears of regret, tears for what could have been. A sudden tapping on the door interrupted her reverie. "Sakura-chan," a voice exclaimed. "Sakura-chan, baa-chan wants to see you!"

Quicky Sakura wiped her eyes and turned to face the door. "Naruto, you baka, there's no need to yell. I can hear you just fine!" Sakura roared.

"Neh, Sakura-chan please don't go scary on me!"

Sakura sighed. Naruto was just as loud and obnoxious as ever, but she loved him like the brother she never had. Grumbling Sakura said, "Im coming, I'm coming." With that she put her hands together and in a flurry of sakura petals she teleported outside of her shishou's door.

"Ah, Sakura," said Tsunade. "Come in."

"Hai," Sakura said and entered. She bowed quickly and continued, "I am at your service."

"I have a mission for you, should you choose to accept it," Tsunade said carefully. "The Kazekage has requested your medical knowledge for an extended period of time. Should you decide to accept, you will leave immediately."

Sakure thought quickly. This could be her chance to escape the embarrassment and feeling of failure that folowed her wherever Sasuke went. "I accept," she stated.

"Good," Tsunade grumbled. "Oh and Sakura before you leave you better tell me where Shizune hid my sake!"


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

It was a bright, beautiful day and the sun beat down on the rosette girl sprinting through the sand. She gave a tinkling laugh, as her hair streamed out behind her and her feet soared across the sand. Sakura had never felt more alive in her life. She was finally free from the oppression Sasuke had brought her, and she was determined to make the most of it. No more moping and crying for her; Sakura was turning over a new leaf.

Too soon, the looming gates of Suna rose up out of the sand. Sakura had arrived. The guards at the gate let her pass as soon as she showed them her official document. Once she entered the city she gazed at it with nostalgic fondness. It was all thanks to Naruto and her saving the Kazekage a few years ago, that Suna and Konoha were such good allies. Of course, it helped that Naruto had a habit of endearing himself to those who came near him and even managed to break through the Kazekage's icy exterior. Now Suna and Konoha had the strongest alliance out of all the great nations, and they were a force to be reckoned with.

Sakura had arrived early, so she decided to look around. The sounds, smells, and sights of Suna were so much different from Konoha. In Suna there was an underlying spiciness that seeped into everything. It was foreign, but Sakura was here to get away from all things that reminded her of Konoha, so it felt good to be out of her comfort zone. As she was looking at some of the wares being sold, her stomach rumbled. It was time to get some food. Sakura was searching for a vendor, when she heard a voice call to her, "Sakura-chan is that you?"

Sakura turned to see Temari pushing her way through the crowd. The spiky haired blonde immediately embraced Sakura fully, and grinned. "Ah, it's been a long time Temari-san," Sakura grinned.

The blonde gave a wide smile in return and said, "It's good to see you looking well Sakura-chan. My brother will be eager to see you, he never really had the proper chance to thank you for saving his life."

Sakura chuckled, "Oh he doesn't have to do that, I only did my duty as a medic-nin, speaking of which I had better report to the Kazekage that I have arrived."

"I'll come with you," Temari cheerfully stated. "Goodness knows you'll need the company. Both of my brothers are sticks in the mud." With that the fan wielding kunoichi led Sakura back through the crowds and to the grand estate that housed the Kazekage.

While made of sand, it still bore similarity to Konoha's own Kage's living quarters, so Sakura was accustomed to the grandeur, but she still stopped and stared at the beautiful tapestries on the wall. Instead of windows the front entrance walls were covered in these breathtaking works of art. Temari noticed Sakura staring at them and said softly, "They're beautiful aren't they. Our mother had them hung instead of windows."

"Oh," Sakura said. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize..."

"It's fine," stated Temari. "It's been many years, and besides I'm glad someone else appreciates their beauty, my brothers on the other hand.."

"What about me?" a voice interrupted. A man with streaks of purple paint around his face and a black hood with cat ears appeared before them.

Temari rolled her eyes and said, "And the clown arrives. Kankuro I was just telling Sakura-chan here all about these lovely wall hangings..."

Kankuro interrupted again, "Boring, boring, boring, Sakura-chan doesn't want to hear about that. Now Sakura-chan you should come with me if you want a fun-filled tour of Suna." With that he winked at Sakura.

"Why would she want to spend any time with an imbecile like you?"

"Aaa, Temari you wound me, but why would she want to spend time with such a crude person such as you." Sakura started to giggle throughout this whole exchange and couldn't stop. Both Suna shinobi stared at her for a long time before joining in with her roaring laughter.

Temari was the first to sober and turned to her brother to query, "Why are you here anyways? I thought you were leaving on a mission this morning."

"That reminds me," said Kankuro. "I came to find you and tell you that you are accompanying me. Garra wants you to come and try to improve relations between Iwagakure and Suna."

Temari nodded suddenly all business. "I am sorry Sakura," she said. "You will have to find Garra by yourself."

"That's alright," Sakura smiled. "Be safe on your mission. It was good seeing you both again." With that Sakura bowed and left the siblings to themselves. Sakura liked the sand siblings well enough. Their interactions made her fondly think of herself and Naruto. She missed him, and she felt a sudden wave of homesickness hit her, but Sakura told herself it was for the best. Being in Suna was better than being miserable at home. So she set off to find the Kazekage.

It didn't take too long, for the office of the Kazekage was the largest and most imposing room. Huge wooden doors, the only wood she had seen that day, were etched with the symbol for Suna and stood before her. Sakura knocked twice and waited. A moment later, a low voice told her to enter.

The room was large with a window that looked out over Suna. It was well lit, and in the center was a large desk. That was where the Kazekage sat. Sakura had to admit he was handsome, with russet wind swept locks and icy aquamarine eyes, but there was a dark intimidating prescence about him that made her shudder. Even though he no longer held the beast Shukaku, he was still extremely dangerous.

Sakura stood up straight and spoke confidently, "Haruno, Sakura of Konoha reporting for duty." She waited a moment for the Kazekage to answer her, but he kept looking at the papers in front of him. Irritation started to creep into her and she coughed a little to let him know she was standing there. Still nothing. Furious now, Sakura said in a low voice, "Kazekage-sama if you do not require my prescence I will gladly walk myself back to Konoha and be happy to never see your rude face again."

At this the Kazekage looked up and said in a menacing tone, "Haruno-san I would appreciate it if you could at least attempt a tone of civility in my prescence. I realize in Konoha your customs are a little more, relaxed, but here I demand respect from my subordinates." With that he turned back to his paperwork, and Sakura realized getting along with the Kazekage was going to be a lot more difficult then she had expected.

**(A/N) I don't know if I need a disclaimer but here it is, I don't own Naruto. Oh and reviews of any and all kind are welcome! :)**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Sakura stared stony faced at the Kazekage. She was not a happy kunoichi. Gaara's last comment infuriated her so much that her vision flared red. Sakura tried to force herself to calm down. She could just imagine what her shishou would say if she caused an international incident. "Excuse me," Sakura hissed out between clenched teeth. She quickly turned to flee, and find something to break instead of the Kazekage's face, when she heard him speak.

"Wait," he said. "I trust that since you were sent by the Hokage, you are able to keep a secret. You see, you weren't sent here for your medical skills alone."

Sakura turned to face him, her anger momentarily forgotten. "I was unaware of that," she said calmly.

"Of course," he snorted. "I had to first know you were trustworthy and that the information I am about to tell you wouldn't fall into the wrong hands."

Sakura was slightly offended by his condescending manner, but she was curious about what he had to say.

The Kazekage continued, "You see there have been reports that the "Village Hidden in Sound" has risen up again under a new leader. So far there have been no obvious signs of trouble, but there has been an increase in the number of rogue attacks on shinobi in the area. I am sending you with a reconnaissance team to discover more information. Your cover is you are staying as a medic-nin in Suna, but when you visit Otogakure you are looking for medicinal herbs."

"That sounds simple enough," stated Sakura.

"Going with you are Fujimoto, Akira and Kato, Nobu."

Sakura nodded her head and committed the names to memory. Then she noticed that Garra had not said who their captain would be. She had a bad feeling about this, but she voiced her question anyways, "Kazekage-sama, who is to be our captain?"

With this Gaara smirked and said, "I will."

Sakura stared at him in disbelief. _Just my luck,_ she thought, _the one person who I can't get along with in Suna is to be my captain. How am I ever going to survive this?_ Sakura was still standing slack-jawed when Gaara dismissed her with, "We will leave first thing tomorrow morning, so be prepared."

Bowing her head Sakura turned and left. Inside, she groaned. She was never going to survive this trip, it was at least a week to get to Otogakure, and they would probably spend 3-4 days there, and another week back. That was almost 3 weeks! She didn't think she could handle that much time in the company of the arrogant Kazekage without exploding, or attempting to make him explode. Sighing she resigned herself to her fate and went to go find a room for the night.

The next morning Sakura woke up just in time to see the sun rising over the sand dunes. Sakura wasn't sure how early, early was to the Kazekage, but she figured she had better hurry. She quickly threw on her clothes and strapped kunais to her thighs and arms. Swinging her weapons bag onto her hip she grabbed some onigiri and stuffed it in her mouth on her way out the door.

Once she reached the Kazekage's doors she paused and smoothed her hair, stuck her nose up in the air, and entered. Inside was the Kazkage waiting with two other men. One had dark hair and mischievous brown eyes; the other had brown hair with somber hazel eyes. Sakura nodded her head and turned to face Gaara.

He glanced up at her and said, "You're late."

Sakura returned with, "You didn't give me a specific time, _Kazekage-sama._"

He ignored her, and turned to face the others. "We leave immediately," he said. The two shinobi nodded and followed their Kazekage. Sakura was surprised to see that instead of heading out the door they jumped out the window. Bewildered she followed the shinobi across rooftops and away from the city.

One of the shinobi, the one with mischievous brown eyes, noticed her confusion and said, "Haruno-san, Kazekage-sama does not wish for it to be common knowledge that he is leaving the village, so we are leaving by the back door." With that he winked at her.

"Thank you," Sakura said. "But please call me Sakura, and what are your names?"

"I am Fujimoto Akira, you can call me Akira. And this is Kato, Nobu," the man with dark hair said. Sakura nodded, and they continued on in silence for a while until Akira spoke up again. "Is it true Sakura-san," Akira asked, "that you killed a member of the Akatsuki?"

Sakura chuckled, "Yes, that's true, but I had a lot of help from someone..." Sakura trailed off, and her eyes misted over with memory. She missed Chiyo-baa sama, even though she had only knows the cantankerous old woman for a few days.

Akira noticed the signs of sorrow creeping onto her face and clouding her emerald eyes so he said with a cheeky grin, "Well I'm not sure I believe you. I don't see how someone as pretty as you could take down the Akatsuki."

Sakura blushed and said, "Thank you Akira-kun, but if you don't believe this pretty face can do any damage, you can watch my pretty fist destroy your face."

Akira laughed and replied, "Feisty, I like it."

A cold voice interrupted their playful conversation to say, "Haruno-san please stop distracting my shinobi we have work to do."

"I wasn't..." Sakura spluttered.

"Hush," Garra said. "There's a foreign chakra up ahead."

Inside Sakura was furious; the Kazekage was treating her like she was the dirt on the bottom of his feet. He wasn't even attempting to be civil to her. She was the apprentice of the Godaime Hokage, and should be treated with at least some degree of respect. Unfortunately now was not the time to think about insulting Kazekage's. She had to be alert in case there was danger, and perhaps she could show the arrogant Kazekage a few of the tricks she had up her sleeves.

**(A/N) I wanted to thank everyone who reviewed! They honestly make writing a joy to do, so more are always welcome! :P**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Sakura knelt behind a rock and put her hand on her weapons pouch. She carefully masked her chakra and listened for footsteps. Sakura drew a kunai from her pouch and hefted it in her hand. She drew in slow calming breaths and concentrated chakra in her ears so she could hear the footsteps on a leaf. That is if there was an ant or leaves in the middle of the desert. Then she heard it, heavy footsteps moving closer and closer. Sakura waited until the last possible moment she threw her kunai and jumped out in front of the unknown shinobi, and immediately pulled up short. That unknown shinobi was wearing a Suna forehead protector.

Sakura said swiftly, "I am terribly sorry about that. I didn't know..." She trailed off.

Suddenly, Akira and Nobu appeared at her side. Nobu grimly bowed to the shinobi and said, "We wish you no harm. These times make all of us a little jumpy, some more than others." With that Sakura cringed and she could feel the weight of Nobu's heavy disapproving stare.

The shinobi nodded his head and said solemnly, "I understand, and good luck with your own mission." He turned and headed off into the distance. It wasn't until he had disappeared from view that Gaara appeared as if out of thin air.

His face took on a stormy look and he said in a soft dangerous voice, "I had thought, Haruno-san, that you were smart. By attacking that shinobi you gave away your position as well as possibly endangering the rest of us."

Sakura replied hotly, "If it had been a shinobi of high caliber they would have discovered our position and have circled around and ambushed us. so, I made sure my kunai wouldn't hit anyone. There was no harm done."

Gaara glared at her and said, "Let's keep moving we don't want our mission to be anymore delayed then it already is."

Sakura glowered at the ground. she felt like ripping something in half, no she took that back, she felt like ripping the Kazekage in half. Every arrogant, self-absorbed word he spoke made her grow angrier and angrier. She was so absorbed in her dark thoughts that she didn't notice Akira sidle up to her.

He grinned and said mischievously, "I wouldn't want to be on the wrong side of that glare."

Sakura glanced up and forced a smile on her face. "Oh Akira-kun, I didn't notice you there."

"It wasn't really your fault you know," he said. "The Kazekage is probably upset that it was so easy to sense one of his own shinobi."

Sakura laughed and said, "I don't think that's it, but thank you Akira-kun." The two of them fell into silence for awhile as they raced across the desert. Finally Sakura mused, "Why is Kato-san so solemn all the time?"

"Ahh well..." Akira began. " I don't think that it would be proper of me to tell you. When he feels comfortable he'll open up."

"I see." Sakura said. Their conversation ended and Sakura went into her own thoughts. She wondered what was so important that had happened in Kato-san's life that would cause him to be so withdrawn. She knew it wasn't healthy to be like that, so stoic. Stoic, that was an adjective she had almost forgotten about. Instantly her heart pulsed with pain as she remembered the one person she most desperately wanted to forget. _No, _she told herself, _I am done thinking about Sasuke. He doesn't exist in my life anymore._ She felt her eyes prick with beginnings of tears, but she shook her head and steeled herself. She had to think about safer topics, topics that wouldn't make her burst into embarrassing tears. She looked up and her eyes fell on the Kazekage, Gaara. At first, she was filled with anger all over again, but then she thought of what Akira had said about Nobu. Maybe Gaara also had a reason for being arrogant and stubborn and withdrawn, and she was determined to find it out.

(A/N) I know it's short, but I'm pretty much fed up with this chapter. It got deleted on me three times, so I had to start over. Oh and Akira and Nobu are characters are made up. So please review, they make my day so much brighter!


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

The group of shinobi had been traveling for awhile. The sandy dunes of the desert had melted away to reveal a flat landscape with towering rocks. Every few miles a brown shrub would appear. In some ways this desolate landscape was even worse than the desert, but at least it was cooler. Sakura was exhausted. Gaara had been running them ragged all day, and Saura was ready to stop. She had already been tired from her journey to Suna, and on top of that she was immediately sent on a mission she had no prior knowledge of.

At last Gaara signaled them to stop, and Sakura just barely held in a sigh of relief. She knew from experience if she showed any weakness she would be treated differently. If she could go back in time she would change how she had acted when she was a genin. It was sickening to remember how she had hung onto every word Sasuke had spoken instead of concentrating on her training. She quickly shook her head. Lately it seemed like her mind was in the past.

Sakura began busying herself with setting traps. It required her utmost focus, and she worked swiftly and efficiently. It didn't take long for her to set several basic traps, and a few more complex ones that she had invented herself. After she finished she began to set up her tent, a moment later Akira sidled up to her.

"Need any help with that?" he asked.

"No thanks," she replied. "I've got it."

Another voice haughtily interrupted their conversation. "Haruno once you are finished struggling with that tent get started on dinner," Gaara ordered.

Sakura clenched her fists tightly, almost breaking the tent pole in her hand. She whirled around, emerald eyes flashing. In a low voice she growled out, "Firstly _Kazekage-sama_ are you ordering me to cook because I am the only female? Because that is just sexist. Secondly, you just ordered me to do something. Do you have any manners at all or are you so wrapped up in your arrogant self that you don't care about anyone else."

Gaara's icy gaze bore into her and he said calmly, "Haruno-san on my missions we all take turns making meals and the tradition is that the newest member always cooks first. It has nothing to do with your gender. Also, I can give you any orders I wish. I am your captain on this mission as well as the Kazekage, which I believe outranks you. Do you have any more complaints?"

Reluctantly Sakura bowed her head and mumbled, "My apologies Kazekage-sama." Turning away she began to cook. She heated up some rice over the fire that Nobu had made, while she and the Kazekage were arguing. Her cheeks were still flushed red from embarrassment. She had lost her temper and actually yelled at the Kazekage when he had had a perfecty legitimate reason for his actions. Her temper always seemed to get the better of her.

She finished cooking in a daze and didn't even notice when the others sat down and began to eat. Akira noticed the solemn look on her face and said in a placating tone, "This is delicious Sakura-san. Much better than the slop Nobu and I make."

Sakura blinked and let out a tinkling laugh that made Akira smile, Nobu quirk his lips, and that made even Garra look up from his plate of food. She replied charmingly, "Thank you Akira-kun. It's good to finally get a compliment for my cooking."

Surprisingly, it was Nobu who spoke next, "I am surprised Haruno-san that no one has complimented you on your cooking. It is quite good. How did you learn to cook?"

Sakura thought for a moment before replying, "I guess I just picked it up. Naruto-kun can barely heat up ramen, and can you imagine Kakashi-sensei actually taking his nose out of that book of his and cooking something. Sai can cook, but he always makes weird experiments and Naruto-kun complains, so I was left to do the cooking. I guess practice makes perfect."

"Well," Akira said. "It sure tastes like you've had a lot of practice because this meal is pretty near perfect."

Sakura blushed and brushed her hair out of her face. "Well, my rule," she said. "is that whoever cooks doesn't have to clean up."

"I'll do it," a low voice intoned.

Sakura looked up in surprise. She couldn't believe that she had just heard the Kazekage volunteer to do work. "Alright," Sakura agreed. She handed over her dishes to the Kazekage and went to finish constructing her tent. Once she was finished she turned around and found Akira and Nobu to be nowhere in sight. "Where..." she began before a voice interrupted her.

"They went off to scout the area," Gaara said.

Sakura nodded and sat down to watch him. The Kaekage would take a dish and whisper under his breath "Suiton Teppoudama" and a bullet of water shot out towards a plate he held in his hand. Sakura noticed that his method wasn't very efficient. Half the time the force of the water would be too great, and the plate would shoot away and fall back to the ground, instantly becoming even dirtier. Sakura stood up and walked towards him. "Here," she said. "Let me help." Sakura shot a tiny stream of water onto a plate and rinsed it off. Gaara shot her a questioning look, and Sakura said while wiggling her fingers, "Medic-nin, remember, perfect chakra control." Gaara hmphed but allowed her to continue rinsing the dishes.

They were silent for awhile before Gaara abruptly spoke. "Why did you decide to be a medic-nin? You're more than capable of making Anbu or even become Hokage if you wanted."

Sakura blew a strand of hair out of her face and thought about the Kazekage's question. She was surprised that he had even spoken to her, but she wanted it to last so she decided to be honest. "I guess I just simply got tired of being useless. Sasuke-kun and Naruto-kun were always so far ahead of me in everything, and on missions I was just a liability, a nuisance. I wanted to make something better of myself, to improve, so I begged Tsunade-sama to take me on as her apprentice. I suppose it was lucky she was in a good mood that day and accepted. Once I started learning I realized being a Medic-nin was a dream come true. Not many shinobi can become one, so I will always be needed and saving people's lives appeals to me more than ending them. To answer your question, I could never be Hokage. That's Naruto's dream, and I do want to be in Anbu, just as a Medic-in. Sorry that was probably more than you wanted to know about my life."

"No," Gaara said. His face screwed up in concentration as he struggled to find the right words. "I don't mind hearing about your life. You should talk about yourself more often," he concluded gruffly.

Sakura blushed all the way to the roots of her hair. She ducked her head down and mumbled, "Thank you." She was so caught up in her own embarrassment that she didn't notice the faint dusting of red that appeared on Garra's cheeks.

**(A/N) Reviews are always welcome! :) Oh and MnC21 thank you for reviewing so much! Finally, I would appreciate some feedback about Gaara in this chapter I'm not sure if he is too ooc, and whether the story/romance is progressing too slowly. Thanks!**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

A few awkward seconds later Nobu and Akira came back from their patrol. Akira noticed the tension between the two, but didn't say anything. Instead, he busied himself with putting the fire out. Nobu either noticed and chose not to say anything or was oblivious because he merely reported to the Kazekage. After a moment of silence Sakura spoke and said, "I'm going to bed now, wake me when it's my turn for watch."

A sharp sound jerked Sakura awake. She rubbed her eyes and stretched her arms. She strained her ears and could hear harsh whispers. Curious, Sakura opened the flap of her tent and peered out. Instead of the darkness of night she expected, she saw bright sunlight. Akira was whispering frantically to Nobu, who was surprisingly holding a frying pan over a fire. Sakura furrowed her brow in confusion. "What are you doing?" She asked.

Akira looked up startled. "Ahh Sakura-san, you're awake," he said nervously.

"Breakfast?" Queried Sakura.

Akira looked everywhere but at Sakura and hmmed and hawed.

Realization dawned on Sakura's face. The stupid male shinobi hadn't waken her up for her watch! She closed her eyes and sucked in her breath. She would not get angry, she would not get angry.

Just then a low, arrogant voice intoned, "Haruno glad to see you are finally awake."

With that Sakura couldn't take it any longer; she exploded. "Why," she spat out. "How could you not wake me up! Is it because you think I can't handle taking watch, or is it because you don't trust me to watch your back _kazekage-sama_?" With those last words Sakura's tone took on a note of derision.

Surprisingly Gaara did not respond. He instead turned away from her and spoke to Nobu and Akira, "Fujimoto, Kato we leave in 10. Be ready."

Sakura was fuming inside. How dare he ignore her completely and deliberately? She was ready to break some bones.

Abruptly the Kazekage turned towards her and said, "Haruno can I have a word?" He motioned her off to the side away from Akira and Nobu. Sakura moved over towards him and nodded with gritted teeth. "Haruno," he began. "I expect better from my shinobi. The way you are behaving is childish and inappropriate for a shinobi of your caliber. I expected better from your village."

Sakura froze. She was mortified. Having the Kazekage imply that she reflected badly on her village hurt. She spoke hoarsely, "Forgive me Kazekage-sama, but I need to prove myself, and make you and the others believe that I am strong."

Gaara paused for a moment before saying, "Try and control your emotions. We decided as a group not to wake you for watch because you had just come from a long journey and needed more rest."

Sakura bowed her head and whispered, "My sincerest apologies for my behavior."

The Kazekage nodded and said, "Be ready to leave in 5."

Sakura packed her bags and rolled up her tent the whole time thinking about what Gaara had said. The environment she was in for this mission was completely different than the one she usually worked in. With Naruto and Sai and Kakashi-sensei. Naruto was always crazy and she was used to letting her temper control her emotions around him to keep him in check. With Gaara everything was straight-laced and straight forward, but she knew she had to try harder to conform to his way of leading a mission.

Sakura was so absorbed in her thoughts that she didn't notice they had entered a forest. She only looked up when Gaara ordered them to halt. "Now that we are in the forest," he said. "We need to be on our guard. Nobu I want you to take point, Akira and I will flank, and Sakura take the rear." They all nodded and continued on their way.

Sakura was surprised that Gaara had chosen her to take the rear. She didn't have a special ability that would enable her to be better at the back or anything of the sort, but she was glad that he was trusting her.

The trees flew by as they jumped from limb to limb. Sakura limited the amount of chakra she was using. It didn't come naturally to her, her perfect chakra control. She had to work for it. Unlike Sasuke or Naruto or even Sai she didn't have an ability that came easily. She had no affinity. Really her only skill was determination and grit and even Naruto had more of that than she did. Her temper was the only way she could identify herself, and Gaara had raised that into question, but she was determined to prove to him that she _was_ good enough.

Just as she closed her thoughts and leapt onto the next branch she heard it, the high whistle of a fast moving object heading her way. Sakura dove to the side just in time. A few milliseconds later a kunai hit the tree trunk behind her. She hid behind a tree and drew her own kunai. She thought back to what direction the kunai came from and her position. Taking into account the fact the attacker would have moved by now Sakura had a feeling of where she thought that person was. Swiftly she sprinted out behind the tree and threw her kunai. Without looking to see if it had met its mark she ducked behind another tree breathing hard.

Sakura knew that she had to find the others. She had no idea where the attack had come from or exactly what had happened. Her eyes scanned her surroundings, searching for any sign of movement. Then, there it was! A leaf fluttered, but Sakura noticed it too late, and a shuriken lodged itself in her thigh. Pain exploded up and down her leg, but she had to shake it off. Cursing her lack of reflexes, Sakura ripped the shuriken from her leg and flung it back into the foliage where it had come from. Then, she sprang into action.

She pushed pain to back of her mind and focused on her options. There was no doubt that the enemy shinobi would have moved positions by now, but her own position was known, so she opted for what seemed like the best choice, rip the forest to shreds. With a massive heave Sakura uprooted a tree and swung it an arc around her. Chakra glowed at her fingertips, and with her massive strength she bowled over all the trees in the vicinity. "Come out, come out wherever you are," she jeered. Using her immense strength was a rush, which continually reminded her why she trained so hard with Tsunade-sama. A few seconds later, her brute strength was rewarded when a massive ninja leapt at her kunai in hand. Sakura whirled on her feet meeting steel with steel before meeting the shinobi with a massive punch to the gut. The man exploded in a cloud of smoke, and Sakura swore. So far, this battle was not going as she planned, but she had no more time to think because immediately afterward four more clones sprang upon her. She became a whirlwind of flashing steel and bone splintering punches. One after the other, the clones came after her, and every time there was a poof of smoke another clone took its place. Slowly but surely, Sakura was being worn down. It was frustrating to think that she wasn't even fighting the real ninja, just a bunch of stupid clones. Unfortunately for Sakura the shinobi running the show decided to step things up a notch.

Without warning, a fireball exploded near her left ear. Sakura immediately dropped to the ground, still fighting a clone. "Why don't you come out and fight me face to face you coward!" she yelled. Getting no response she yelled again, "Fine! Then I'll come to you... SHANNARO!" With that she pulled her fist back and slammed it into the ground. The earth shook violently and massive fissures appeared, forcing yawning chasms to swallow up a good portion of the once beautiful forest. Sakura's efforts were rewarded when sprinting towards her at full tilt came the real ninja. Sakura braced herself and leapt into the sky, just as he reached her. She slammed her fist down on his back, and she could feel the bones give way with a sickening crunch. To his credit, the shinobi only grunted before rolling away. She saw that he immediately put a glowing green hand on his back. The green chakra fluctuated violently, and so while Sakura knew the man only knew the very basics of medical jutsu it still sucked that what should have been an incapacitating blow now became just another wound.

The enemy shinobi spat blood on the ground and then wiped his mouth with the back off his hand. A feral grin stretched across his face, and he sprang towards her. Sakura was ready for an attack, and she easily blocked his punches and kicks. She back flipped away from his knife swipe and launched kunais of her own. Unfortunately she didn't notice that her maneuver had backed her up against a group of trees. Sakura let out a curse under her breath. She attempted to leap forward, to gain ground, but to no avail. The other shinobi kept on pushing her back. Then, with a ghost of a smile across his lips, he formed seals in his hand. An instant later a massive fireball launched itself at Sakura. She twisted away, rolling on the ground with a hiss. She wasn't fast enough. The left side of her body was singed. Another fireball exploded on the ground next to her. Fireball after fireball rocketed towards her. It was all Sakura could do to keep ducking and rolling. She leapt to her feet, and began to run. The shinobi chased after her. Sakura could feel the air dry near the back of her neck, before a scorching heat blew past her.

Turning her head around, Sakura shot a deluge of water back at the shinobi, but it seemed to just disappear, absorbed into the other shinobi. _Shit,_ she thought. _This ninja sucks up chakra_. Now Sakura was running for her life. She leapt through the trees dodging fireballs as she went. Her breath came in short pants, and the adrenaline flooded her system, keeping her alive. Sakura was all instincts now, ducking and dodging, until she broke out from the tree line, and found herself floating in midair. For one split second she turned her head to see a ball of fire as large as a house rocketing towards her. Her body began to drop, and she closed her eyes thinking to herself, _Why am I always so weak..._

(A/N)

So I know I haven't updated in a while, but I am not giving up on this story, which of course I don't own any of the characters or anything. I hope you all enjoyed this, and I please let me know about the fight scene, is it realistic enough, too cheesy or something. I love reviews, and they inspire me to write more, so please review! Thank you!


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters in this story

Chapter 7

Sakura hit water hard. Shocked she sunk to the bottom of the river she hadn't seen and remained there for a moment before logic kicked in. She couldn't stay where she was, she had to move. She knew she couldn't go to the surface, the enemy ninja could still be there. Kicking her legs hard Sakura fought the urge to surface and breathe in, and she swam down the river.

When she couldn't hold her breath any longer she surfaced. The forest was still on either side of her, but the water was moving faster now. She began to swim towards the bank, flooding her limbs with chakra, but for every inch she moved towards the bank she was swept two feet down the river. Now Sakura was beginning to worry. When a river began flowing this fast it meant only one thing, a waterfall.

Sakura redoubled her efforts to reach the bank, but to no avail. The current was just too strong, and now Sakura could see where the water was falling off the edge, crashing onto sharp rocks below. The river was now tossing and turning Sakura around, dunking her under the water and smashing her body into rocks. She was now fighting just to keep her head above the water. She thought quickly, categorizing her options and searching for the one that would give her a maximum chance for survival. There weren't many options. The edge of the waterfall was growing closer and closer, so Sakura wrapped herself in a cocoon of healing chakra, praying that it would help prevent any major injuries. She closed her eyes and waited, and a moment later she was falling off the edge.

The water crushed down around her with a greater pressure than she had ever felt. As she fell, a thought crossed her mind, seemingly random. It was funny how she, who could move mountains with her chakra, found nature to be stronger than her. She supposed if this was the last thought she would have, it wasn't a bad one, so she braced herself for impact, when suddenly she hit something hard, damp, and grainy? Sand, it was sand! Relief flooded through Sakura, and she barely noticed when the sand began moving through the air, and then gently deposited her on the ground. "Are you alright?" a deep voice asked.

Sakura looked up into the concerned teal eyes of the Kazekage. "Yes," she said. "I'm fine. Thank you for saving me." Then inexplicably she began to cry, "Why," she sobbed, "Am I always so weak?"

Gaara stared at her for a long moment as if deciding what to do before he said simply, "You're not weak. Not many shinobi I know would be able to survive what you just did. You fought against a man well known in the bingo books without backup, and you were able to think clearly in a tough situation, not many shinobi do that."

"But I shouldn't have," Sakura said bitterly. "I shouldn't have let him beat me, especially since I am supposed to be as good as my shishou."

Gaara sighed and said, "Don't waste time crying about it. See this as an opportunity to improve, and next time you will beat him."

Surprisingly, Sakura found the Kazekage's advice to be comforting. She wiped her eyes with her sleeve and stood up. She looked around and asked, "Where are Nobu-san and Akira-kun?"

Sakura noticed the flicker of regret cross Gaara's face before he solemnly replied, "I was separated from them during the battle."

Sakura nodded and asked, "Should we continue with the mission?"

Gaara nodded once. Sakura sighed at his lack of a verbal response, but she followed him when he began moving through the trees. They traveled in silence for about an hour before Gaara abruptly stopped. "We'll stop here for the night," he stated. Sakura nodded and stopped before allowing a bright red blush to spread across her face. She had just realized that her pack, which included her clothes, sleeping bag, and tent had been washed away by the river.

"Um... Kazekage-sama," she said. "My pack got lost in the river."

Gaara stared blankly at her before saying, "I have plenty of food and water in my own pack."

Sakura almost let out a groan. She couldn't believe she had to spell out to the Kazekage. "I don't have my pack," she said slowly. "So that means I have no place to sleep tonight."

Realizations dawned on Gaara, and an unreadable emotion flickered across his face before he spoke. "That will be alright Haruno-san. You can take my tent and I'll sleep outside."

Sakura looked doubtfully up at the sky, which was steadily turning darker. "It's going to rain Kazekage-sama, and we can't afford to get sick." As if Sakura's words were a signal, a loud boom resonated around them and a deluge of rain fell from the stormy sky.

Both Gaara and Sakura ran for the nearest cover of a tree. Gaara reached into his pack and pulled out some dried meat and fruit, and the two of them ate in silence. Sakura was hyper aware of how close she was sitting to the Kazekage. He was mere inches away from her, and when he moved his arm to eat, droplets of water from his hair would fall on her arm. Every few seconds she could see the droplet of water gather at the tip of his spiky hair before falling through the air and onto her arm. Before she knew it, she was anticipating each drop, so much so, that when the next one fell she shivered. Gaara looked up, "Are you cold?" he asked.

Sakura blushed and responded, "No, I'm fine. We should get an early night's sleep, so we can get going tomorrow. We lost a lot of ground today."

Gaara agreed and left Sakura to set up the tent, while he secured their perimeter. Sakura was glad that he had left. She needed time to gather her wits. Why was she acting so strange around the Kazekage? She shouldn't be blushing all the time. _Get yourself together,_ she ordered herself. She just finished setting up the tent when Gaara returned. He stood around awkwardly. Sakura cleared her throat and spoke. "Gaara, should we get some sleep?"

Gaara grunted, examined the tent for a moment, before crawling inside. Sakura shifted nervously before the entrance of the tent and thought to herself, _Why am I so nervous? It's no big deal, just sharing a tent, its not like we're sleeping in the same sleeping bag. Besides, I do this with Naruto-kun and Sai._ Although if that was the case, then why did this time feel so different. She shook herself, took a deep breath, and entered the tent.

The inside was bigger than it had looked on the outside and there was plenty of room between Gaara and her. He was lounging on his sleeping bag on one side. "Here," he said and handed her a blanket. She took it with a nod, and laid it down on the other side of the tent. She then sat down and said awkwardly, "Good night." And to Sakura's surprise Gaara answered with a good night of his own.

**(A/N) My goal before I update the next chapter is for 5 reviews, I hope that isn't asking too much... but reviews make the world go round :)**


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